Balancing machine



'c. P. THOMAS I BALANCING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19

1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY 1 gM at d. a I .ITTORNEY.

' C. P. THOMAS BALANCING MACHINE Fil'ed Aug. 19

1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 i INVENTOR.

C. P. THOMAS BALANQING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19

1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Jan. 27. 1925.

hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin lrfl/ Jan. 27. 1925. 1,524,323

C. P. THOMAS BALANCING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTORNEY.

Jan. 27. 1925. 1,524,323 c. P. THOMAS BALANCING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet. s

BY 4 a/ MMAQAWAM ){ZZQ a ATTORNEY.

C. P. THOMAS BALANCING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I N VE N TOR. 01.1 am PZ'WMM ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 27, 1925 I g UNITEDSTATES PATENT. OFFICE CHARLES r. THOMAS, or LANSING, MICHIGAN.

I BALANCING MACHINE.

Application filed August 19, 1921. Serial No. 493,748.

. tion.

My invention relates to improvements in,

machines for indicating.the unbalance in rotating parts as to the unsymmetrical location of material around the axis of said part and longitudinally thereof, that is to say, for indicating static and dynamic unbalance; and ob ects of my improvements are to adapt such a machine to be operated by a single attendant and to secure greater speed and efliciency of operation.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line II--Il Fig.

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line IV-IV Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail View in elevation of the parts adjacent to the line V-V Fig. 1.

F i 6 is a detail sectional View on the line %'IVI of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a detail View in elevation of the parts adjacent to the line VIL VII Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the parts shown adjacent to the lower right hand corner of the vehicle framework in Fig 1.

ig. 9 is a view of the parts at the corner of said movable frame transversely opposite the corner shown in Fig. 8.

Figs. 10 and 11 are detail sectional views on the lines X-X and XI- -XI of Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the machine, many of the operative partsbeing removed so as to indicate the method and apparatus for supporting the movable frame.

.Fig. 13 is a side elevation largely in diagram indicating the position of the body being operatedupon and its relative position to the constituent parts of the machine.

a a are pedestals or fixed supporting parts of the machine and b is a frame work supported upon the pedestals a a alternatively to respond to the static or dynamic unbalance of the part ,being tested which is supported and rotated upon said frame.

For convenience of description, I have in dicated the four corners of the frame 6 in Fig. 12 by the reference characters y and The corner 9 is supported upon abracket at the pedestal a by a spring 9.

The corner 3 is supported by a rigid pm- 9 upon the pedestal a. The corner 9 may be supported upon the pedestal at either by a rigid pin 9 or by a spring g? and the corner y may be supported upon the pedestal a by a rigid pin or by a spring 9 The apparatus by which the parts may be adjusted to afford a rigid or elastic support to the corner 3 is described as follows:

There is a shaft h resting in bearings h it -which bearings are rigid upon theframe b. The shaft h is provided'with cams h and k (Figs. 8, 10, 11) and beneath these cams are rods 9 and 9 a adapted to reciprocate vertically in apertures the walls of which are rigid with frame b. k is a lever arm or handle which may be manipulated to oscillate the shaft it. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the cams h and 71. are so shaped and arranged upon the shaft h that when one is in position to thrust its corresponding rod g or 9 0; downward the other is in position to permit its corresponding'pin to rise to the upper end of its travel. When the lever arm 7& is turned in one direction, the rod or pin 9 is forced downward by its cam k and engages against the prepared surface rigidly-secured to the pedestal a so that the corner y of the frame I) is then supported pivotally rigidly upon said pedestal. \Vhen the lever arm h is turned inthe other direction the cam h is withdrawn from the rod 9 and the rod or pin 9% is thrust forward thus supporting the corner y of the frame 1) upon the spring 9 The corner y of the frame I) is provided 1 with an apparatus entirely similar to that By this arrangement when the corner 3 is arm k rigidly connected with the shaft It.

parts at the corner will be adjusted to adjusted for elastic support, the corner is adjusted for a rigid pivotal support and when the corner '3 is adjusted for a rigid pivotal support the corner 1 is adjusted for an elastic support.

The work or objectto be tested is placed upon the frame I) and rotated thereon with its. axis parallel to the longitudinal center line of said frame. Now if the lever arm or handle it is operated to afford an elastic support for the corner 1/ of said frame, the

afford an-elastic support and the frame I) will, therefore, respond to any momentdue to the unsymmetrical location of the material along the axis of the rotating part;

In Fig. 13, the location of the 'vertical' counterance shaft f is indicated as well as the eccentric weights 7" on said shaft by which balancing counter effects are pro-' duced to correspond with the unbalance of the Work or part being operated upon. The position of these weights is adjusted by handles f f (Fig. 1) and such adjustment is indicated upon scales f f. f is an electric motor secured upon the frame I) which actuates a shaft f through suitable connections upon which shaft is a head 7 to which the Work (in this'instance an engine shaft is contemplated) is flexibly connected so that it shall be rotated thereby. .Theoperator stands in front of the machine as shown in Fig. 1 adjacent to the pedestal 'a. The engine shaft or other object to be indicated having been 1 mounted in pos1t1on, the operator sets the electric motor 7 in motion and regulates the motion until the point of synchronism between the work and the frame I) is reached. The frame I) is first adjusted to indicate static unbalance and the operator then adjusts the weights f until this unbalance effect is counter-v acted. The amount of the static unbalance is indicated by the position of the weights The frame I) is then adjusted as above described to indicate only unbalance moments or dynamic unbalance and the operator-then adjusts the weights f to counteract the dynamic unbalance and this ad'ustment of the weight then indicates this latter effect.

To which ever condition the frame I) is adjusted to respond, whether to static or dynamic unbalance, the corner y of said frame will oscillate to indicate the unbalance effect. I, therefore, provide an indiri idly secured to the frame cator for the movement of the corner 1 which in this case consists of a bell crank lever A: pivot'ally sup orted by a bracket m on the pedestal a and havin a contact pin engaging one 0 its arms. The other arm of the hell crank lever is is operatively secured to one end of a connecting rod n which latter is carried over to a position adjacent to that at which the operator stands and is there connected with an indicator of convenient construction consisting of a pivoted needle which the movement of the rod n causes to vibrate overa scale. The indicator being of conventional construction is not specifically described. By observing the oscillation of the needle of the indicator j the operator can tell whether the work is in synchronism with the frame b and whether the various unbalance effects have been compensated.

I have observed that the indications are sometimes rendered unreliable by the nature or condition of the bearing for the shaft or object being tested in that the shaft may he strained into an abnormal shape longitudinally thereofby said bearings or the condition of an extended bearing surface may produce a fallacious indication of unbalance. I have therefore provided a unitary and rigid support for the multiple bearings so that said bearings are constructed, shaped and relatively located once for all. The upper portion of each of said bearings is held yieldingly in place. I have also replaced the extended bearing surface of said bearings by rollers.

' The construction of the part for supporting the shaft or work is follows:

0 is a rigid cross head engaging longitudinal ways 0 at the sides and top of the frame 7) and adapted to slide thereon. c indicate handles adapted to turn' a pinion bearing in a hanger from the cross head 0 which pinion engages in a stationary rack 0 upon the frame Z By turning said pinion the position of the cross head 0' may be adjusted. VVhenadjusted to its re uircd position the cross head 0 is bound rmly in place by turning a shaft c'by means of a handle 0 to draw upward upon pitmans 0 engaging clamping bars 0 which latter engage under a portion of the frame I). d d d d are bearings supported upon the cross head 0. The construction of said bearings is specifically illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 in which (i represents a cross bar rigidly supported on the top of the cross head 0 and in this cross head are secured sup orts ea or ball bearings 66 'up( n which cylin rical rollers e e? are adapted to turn. The peripheral surface of these rollers are neatly and loo opposite and similar to 11' having one end end of a compression spring da, the upper the rod d. The nut (1% eng end of which spring engages a shoulder on inst the up r surface of the cross ar a with a yie ding pressure.

' e is a cylindrical roller similar to c ande located at the center of the cross piece &

and supported therein in the same way that the rollers e e are supported in the cross piece d. The shaft w is placed 11 n the rollers e e as shown in Fig. 2 and e cross piece (I is turned downward to bring the roller e against the up r surface of said shaft. The nut d?) is t en manipulated to adjust the tension .of the roller 0 upon the work w.

With the above described construction, if the shaft is at all crooked, this fact will be indicated by the rattling of a bearing as the shaft is rotated and the contact surfaces are small and accurately formed so that they hold the shaft accurately and firmly in its proper position. I have found that this construction obviates the difficulties dueto the bearings above pointed out.

As hitherto constructed it has been necessary to adjust the bearingsseparately at tween the for the shaft have been separate and sepfr arately adjustable and have been liable to produce false indications as above pointed out. By the above described construction these disadvantages have been obviated. The speed of the machine has been increased many times and it has been rendered capable of operation by a single skilled operator which has been productive of more satisfactory results in itself. o

2, (Fig. 1) is aspacing rod extendingbepedestals, a, a.

Claims: I

I 1. In an'apparatus of the ln'nd described, a frame, apparatus for alternatively affording a rigid pivotal support or an elastic support to one corner of said frame, a' similar apparatus at another corner of said frame and means for adjusting both of said apparatus from a single point.

2. In an apparatus of the kind def scribed, a frame, apparatus for alternatively affording a rigid pivotal support or an elastic support to one corner of said frame, a similar apparatus at another corner of said frame, said apparatus being connected so that the adjustment of one shall cause the adjustment of the other. I

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a frame, apparatus for alternatively affording a rigld pivotal support or an elastic support to one corner of said frame, a similar apparatus at another corner of said frame, each of said apparatus be provided with a shaft having cams ereon adapted to throw the elastic support or the pivotal rigid support into operation, said shafts being join by a connec rod at eccentric points relative to said fts.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described, a movable frame, a support adjustable to an elastic or rigid-pivotal condition for one corner of said frame,'a similar adjustable support for another corner of'said frame, means whereby said supports may be adjusted from one position and means whereby the motion of said frame at. adistant point is indicated adjacent to the pointfromwhich said bearings are adjusted.

5. In an apparatus of the kind described, a movable frame, a support adjustable to an elastic or rigid-pivotal condition for one corner of said frame, a similar adjust able support for another ioorner of said ame, means whereby said supports may be adjusted from one whereby the motion of said frame at a distant point is indicated adjacent to the int from which said bearings are adj and means for adjusting the compensating effect for the unbalance work and observing said adjustment adjacent to the point at which said bearings are adjusted.

In testimony whereof, I, sign this specification.

CHARLES P. THOMAS. 

